The Viagra Myth

Morgentaler, a practicing urologist and a professor at Harvard Medical School who has done research on erectile dysfunction, wants to explode the "notion of Viagra as an automatic solution, as the quick fix to all sexual problems." He has no problems with the millions of prescriptions of Viagra that doctors have make since the drug was introduced in 1998. But he is effective at presenting facts that are not so well known, such as that the drug works in 80% of men with performance anxiety but only two-thirds of men with other types of erectile dysfunction. What he does best, however, is to demonstrate how "a firm erection cannot solve deeper problems." Each chapter describes a situation in which a patient who thought that Viagra was the answer to his problems finds that there are other explanations. In one, a man learns that his performance problems have to do with the lack of trust he and his partner share; in another, a man who thinks that Viagra will make his sexual performance last the right time learns that "studies have shown that humans average only a minute and a half for the sexual encounters." Short bullet-point summaries of important information at the end of each chapter and an excellent section of "Frequently Asked Questions About Viagra" help make this book an important resource for both physicians and patients who are contemplating prescribing or using the drug, but who may be doing so for all the wrong reasons. (Oct.) (Piblishers Weekly, August 18, 2003)

"...reveals for the first time the drug's popularity is waning as it leaves a trail of broken relationships and shattered expectations in its wake." (The Independent, 27 August 2003)

"...warns that the drug may be killing passion rather than igniting it." (The New Zealand Herald, 28 August 2003)

"...argues that the drug's side effects are not so much medical as emotional." (The Independent, 29 August 2003)

Viagra can help many men, asserts urologist Morgentaler (Harvard Medical Sch.; The Male Body). But its cure-all-penises reputation is only a myth. It is most effective for erectile dysfunction caused by performance anxiety, less so for premature ejaculation and for medically caused problems. Viagra cannot supply desire, guarantee partner satisfaction, or rescue a relationship aground on different issues. Moreover, secret use of the drug can raise issues of trust and honesty with a partner. Yet there are effective treatments for when Viagra fails-injections, implants, vacuum devices, and couple therapy. Morgentaler's needed corrective is readable and well organized, with case histories and summaries - plus a chapter on gay relationships. Unfortunately, it lacks a resource section, guidelines for finding a doctor/therapist, and illustrations. A good general work on sexual dysfunction is Lawrence Hakim's The Couple's Disease, and Robert Butler and Myrna Lewis's The New Love and Sex After 60 is also highly recommended. Morgentaler's books is a valuable if imperfect addition to collections where Viagra books circulate frequently. (Index not seen.) —Martha Cornog, Philadelphia (Library Journal, October 1, 2003)